The invention relates to a device for transferring filled tea bags, especially double chamber tea bags, from a fast single track tea bag packaging machine onto a double track processing machine for producing especially a hot-sealed envelope for the tea bag.
In a known tea bag packaging machine tea metered by a tea metering device comprising a metering wheel is placed in equal portions with a transmission wheel onto a filter paper strip that is continuously transported by a transporting machine. A hose is formed from the filter paper strip and individual filled double chamber tea bags are manufactured therefrom. The tea bag packaging machine is operated at extremely high speeds with an output of up to 400 tea bags per minute. Conventionally, the filled tea bags are individually gripped with a forceps-like gripping device from the prior art tea packaging machine and are then placed into a stacking chute for formation of packaging groups from where the groups are then guided to respective boxes in order to be packed therein. It is disadvantageous that highest requirements with respect to the flavoring of the tea packaged in this manner cannot be fulfilled because an absolutely tight flavoring seal is not possible with these packagings. External conditions such as air temperature and moisture in the air can affect the tea through the cardboard box and the filter paper in the form of a fleece material, and the quality of the tea during the course of time is thus degraded. Therefore, there is a great desire to seal the tea bag against the effect of air, light, and moisture and to package it so as to be flavor-sealed. For this purpose, it is known to introduce the individual tea bag into an aluminum composite foil envelope that is comprised of a rectangular material strip folded in half whereby the three originally open sides are hot-sealed after insertion of the tea bag so as to be tightly sealed. The double chamber tea bag in this envelope is positioned with its bottom on the folded edge. The folded edge, however, according to German Gebrauchsmuster 295 142 249.9, can also extend parallel to the longitudinal side of the tea bag whereby the folded aluminum composite envelope blank is to be sealed along two short sides and one longitudinal side.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for performing the method of transferring filled tea bags, especially double chamber tea bags, from a fast single track tea bag packaging machine onto a double track processing machine for producing especially the aforementioned envelope enclosure.